Not every 24-year-old fledgling gets props from The New York Timesprior to his runway debut. But then there's nothing average about Brian Reyes. He's a self-taught designer, who in a very short time has worked (in various roles) at Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, and Oscar de la Renta. His spring show, for which Eliza Reed Bolen grabbed a front-row seat, proved that the last of those three mentors informed his aesthetic the most. The evidence? A distinct "lady" attitude, and a three-dimensional rose-petal-embroidered skirt that had both sass and class.

"I wanted to tell a beautiful story, to show my love for my craft and my country," said Reyes, referring to his parents' homeland, Colombia. From delicate, braided straps on lace-trimmed camisole tops, to a caramel-color skirt constructed entirely of plaits, his love of the craft was apparent. Texture was also abundant, in the form of wood beading, raffia embroidery, silk burlap fabric, and a branch print. All of which tied in well with the safari theme, which was introduced in the second look: a khaki hacking dress. Reyes' clientele isn't likely to hunt for anything more endangered than a last-minute reservation at Per Se, though. He's designing for a woman with less-than-wild tastes. There were godet and pencil skirts for the uptown set, and deeply cuffed trousers and thirties-influenced crinkled-silk-chiffon blouses, paired with shrunken boleros of the same fabric and color (a new take on the twinset), for the occasional dalliance downtown.